PETALING JAYA: “I was not forced to sing for the police,” Slam frontman Zamani Ibrahim (pic) said after his release.
This came after police launched an investigation against the officers handling Zamani in lockup, following his arrest for an alleged drug offence on Jan 21.
A video of Zamani singing Gerimis Mengundang, one of the band’s hit songs, while handcuffed, was uploaded on social media hours after his arrest and quickly went viral, sparking claims of police mistreatment.
Speaking to reporters yesterday after being released on bail from the Ampang Jaya police headquarters, Zamani clarified that he willingly sang for the police after one of the officers said he was a fan and asked if he would sing a few numbers.
“I was not forced to sing or involved in any scuffles. He, too, sang a few songs by Slam and asked if I would sing along.
“However, he promised me that the video recording was for his personal collection only,” Zamani told The Star’s Bahasa Malaysia news portal mStar at his lawyer’s office here yesterday.
The 43-year-old was arrested at his house in Taman Keramat, Ampang, on Wednesday for allegedly possessing what was believed to be 1.2g of heroin.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Department (JIPS) director Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Zubaidah Md Ismail said the officers who recorded Zamani singing had been removed from active duty pending an investigation.
“The Inspector-General of Police has given the department the green light to remove the officers.
They have been placed on desk duties.
“We are not just questioning them but their supervisors as well, as to how a lapse in police procedure could occur,” SDCP Zubaidah said.
“We are investigating this from all angles.”
She declined to reveal the two officers’ ranks, but said that stern action would be taken against them if they were found to have flouted the Civil Service Rules (Service and Conduct) 1993.
“We will not tolerate bad apples within the force who mistreat detainees,” she said. “I am ashamed of the officers’ actions.”
